Orientation for boosters, PTAs, and parent organizations

External groups include boosters, PTAs, and other parent organizations that help fundraise on behalf of the school. SuccessFund makes it easy to get approval and set up your fundraising efforts for success.

If you are in an external group and haven't received an invite to Join or Create your group, please reach out to support@successfund.com or your district administrator to get set up as the admin of your group.

Welcome, Boosters and Parent Groups!

SuccessFund makes it easy to get online approval for your fundraisers and campaigns. Once approved it will transform the way you fundraise, sell, and collect money.

After approval, why run your campaign on SuccessFund?
  • Autonomous Management: Manage your own SuccessFund account with your users and bank account. All funds raised go directly to your organization, not the school.
  • Centralized Record-Keeping: Track both digital and offline transactions (cash and checks) in one comprehensive record.
  • In-Person Payments & Fulfillment: Use our mobile app to scan receipts, fulfill orders, and accept payments, including Venmo, at your events.
  • Online Sales: Set prices, manage inventory, and sell items such as swag, concessions, car wash tickets, and discount cards—all through our platform.
  • Pre-Built Marketing Tools: Generate promotional flyers with QR codes and customizable links to boost your campaign’s reach and visibility.
  • Student-Level Tracking: Track real-time progress by student to understand participation and performance better.
  • Mobile Payments: Accept donations and payments via Venmo, credit/debit cards, and other modern methods—all integrated into your campaign approval process.
Getting Started with SuccessFund:
  1. Sign In: Use the email invitation from your school or district to create your SuccessFund account. (If you are in an external group and haven't received an invite to Join or Create your group, please reach out to support@successfund.com or your district administrator to get set up as the admin of your group. )
  2. Set Up Your Account: Once logged in, you’ll see your SuccessFund dashboard. Here, you can view and manage all your campaigns. Start by inviting users to your group and assigning roles. Be sure to add your bank account details.
  3. Create and Submit Campaigns: Click on “Create New Campaign” to start. Whether you’re hosting a fundraiser, event, or selling items, SuccessFund supports various campaign types. Customize your campaign page with descriptions, images, and colors. Use our AI tools to generate content and make edits as needed.
  4. Request Approval: Submit your campaign for approval from your school administrator. You’ll receive email notifications about the status of your request. Once approved, you can go live and start sharing your campaign link.
  5. Share and Manage Campaigns: Share your campaign link via email or social media. You can also use QR codes and pre-made flyers to promote your campaign. For in-person events, use SuccessFund’s card readers for seamless payment processing.
  6. Track and Optimize: Monitor your campaign’s progress, track sales, and view real-time results. Add collaborators, set up leaderboards, and customize checkout questions to gather necessary data.
Need Help?

If you have questions or need assistance, our team is here to support you. Click the chat button in the bottom right corner for a live chat with our SuccessFund team.
We’re excited to see your fundraising efforts thrive with SuccessFund. Reach out anytime you need support!

Frequently Asked Questions

Browse all FAQs

How do I move a campaign to a different group or school?

Where a campaign exists

When a campaign is created, it belongs to the school or group that the organizer was in at the time of creation.

  • The campaign’s location shows on the campaign page.
  • That location determines who reviews the approval request, which administrators have visibility, and which bank account SuccessFund will default to for deposits (deposits are always confirmed before final approval).

Ways to move a campaign

1. From the Edit tab

  • Open the campaign.
  • Click Edit.
  • In the Owner Info section, you can change the School/Group field to move the campaign to another school or group.
  • Save your changes.

2. When removing a user

  • Go to the Users tab.
  • If you remove a user who owns campaigns or approvals, the system will prompt you to either:
    • Move those campaigns to another user, or
    • Delete them.

Who can move a campaign?

  • Typically, district administrators have this ability.
  • The user’s role must include the permission to View/Edit All Organization Campaigns.
  • If the user does not have this permission, the School/Group dropdown will be disabled, and the following message will be displayed:
    “You do not have permission. Only administrators can change the school/group.”


Can a non Administrator move a campaign?

If you don't have the administrator ability to move a campaign, you'll have to create a new campaign from the new group. You can change where your user exists by clicking on your profile picture in the top right. Once you're in a new school/group, you can duplicate your old campaign. The new campaign will be in the new group.

Can I change the owner of a campaign?
If you want the campaign to be owned by a different person, add them as a collaborator (from your campaign page, click on "Collaborators"). Then, the new owner can duplicate the campaign (on the "All Campaigns" page, locate the campaign and click the three-dot menu on the right). The duplicated campaign will then belong to the new owner in their current school or group.

What is a Leaderboard?

Overview:

Leaderboards are one of the most effective ways to boost participation and fundraising results. They turn involvement into friendly competition while giving every student, team, or group their own real-time tracking page and personal share link — texted straight to them when they enroll. Participants can also invite parents or other helpers to track progress and share the fundraiser on their behalf. This built-in sharing and visibility encourages participants to spread the word themselves — the single best way to drive more donations and sales.

When the leaderboard is enabled, donors select which participant to support at checkout, and each participant’s progress updates automatically.

Key Terms

Organizer – Sets up the campaign, manages participants, and tracks overall progress.

Participant – A student, class, or team raising funds that is tracked or competes against other participants in the fundraiser. Each has their own results page and share link.

Donor/Patron – A supporter who donates to or purchases from the fundraiser through a participant’s share link or the general campaign link.

Parent/Helper – Added during enrollment to receive text updates and assist with sharing or communication.

Tags – Optional. Used to group participants into teams or categories (e.g., “6th Grade,” “Varsity,” “Choir”) for easier tracking and organization.

Before You Invite Participants

Go live before sending enrollment links.

  • Participants can enroll before going live, but if they share their individual link, participants won't be able to view it until the campaign is live.
  • Once live, share links will direct donors to an active fundraiser immediately.

Sharing Order

  1. Go live.
  2. Send the enrollment link to participants (not donors).
  3. After participants enroll, they’ll get their personal share links by text and can begin promoting.
  4. Share the general campaign link publicly via social media, flyers, QR codes, or email.

Adding Participants to the Leaderboard

You have two ways to populate your leaderboard:

Option 1: Manually Add Participants, Then Share the Enrollment Link
  • Click “+ Participants” and paste in names.
  • Then share the enrollment link so they can verify their phone number and access their tracking page.
  • If they don’t enroll, they won’t get updates or their own results page.
Option 2: Only Share the Enrollment Link
  • Copy and share the enrollment link with participants.
  • They’ll select or add their name, verify their phone, and can add parents/helpers for updates.
  • Once enrolled, they’ll receive their own results page and share link.

Participant Experience

After enrolling, participants:

  • Receive a personal share link (texted to them and on their results page).
  • See their total raised, rank, and progress toward the next position.
  • Watch their supporter list and transactions update in real time.
  • Get a text message every time someone donates.
  • Can add parents or helpers to receive progress updates too.
Thanking Donors

Participants can open any transaction on their results page to view donor details and send a thank-you directly. They can:

  • Send an email to the donor.
  • Call or text if contact information is available.

This makes it easy for participants to express gratitude and strengthen supporter relationships.

Sharing the Fundraiser

For Organizers
  • Share the enrollment link with participants only.
  • Share the general campaign link (from the Share tab) publicly via email, social media, flyers, or QR codes.
  • If you manually added names, still send the enrollment link so participants can track their own results.
For Participants
  • Share only your personal share link (texted to you and available on your results page).
  • Do not share your results page or the enrollment link.
  • Aim to share your personal link with at least 20 people.

Managing Participants (Organizer Controls)

Organizers can manage all participants from the Leaderboard tab.

Bulk Actions (Select Multiple Participants)

Click the checkboxes beside names, then choose Actions to:

  • Edit Tags – Group participants into teams or categories.
  • Unenroll – Remove participants from active tracking but keep them selectable at checkout.
  • Remove – Delete them entirely from the leaderboard. Their transactions remain attributed to them but can be changed by editing each transaction.
Unenrolling vs. Removing
  • Unenroll – Participant remains selectable but participant no longer has access to see results.
  • Remove – Completely deletes the participant from the leaderboard.
Individual Participant Menu (Three Dots)

For each participant, organizers can:

  • Copy Unique Link – Copy that participant’s share link.
  • Edit Name – Update their display name.
  • View Results – Open their results page.
  • Edit Tags – Assign or change team/group tags.
  • Remove – Delete them from the leaderboard.
Leaderboard Columns Display

Each participant row shows:

  • Enrolled – Whether they’ve claimed their spot.
  • Amount – Total raised on their behalf.
  • Count – Number of donations on their behalf.
  • Views – Number of visits from their share link.

Leaderboard Settings and Visibility

Access the gear icon on the Leaderboard tab to control appearance and behavior.

Who Can See the Leaderboard?
  • Only You: Private view (visible only to organizer).
  • Public: Visible to anyone visiting the campaign. Displays the top five participants on the public page.
Require Selection at Checkout?
  • Optional: Donors may choose to support a participant but don’t have to.
  • Required: Donors must select a participant before checking out.
Customize Form Label

Change the question shown to donors at checkout (e.g., “Supporting someone?” or “Which team are you supporting?”).

Quick Answers

When should I go live?
Before sharing the enrollment link. Share links don’t work until the campaign is live.

What link do I send to participants?
The enrollment link.

What link do participants share with donors?
Their personal share link (texted after enrollment).

What if a participant’s name isn’t listed?
They can add it during enrollment.

Can parents track progress?
Yes — each participant can add up to 2 parents or helpers during their enrollment.

Can participants thank donors?
Yes — they can email, call, or text donors directly from their results page.

Do donations update automatically?
Yes, all results update in real time.

Can I hide or show the leaderboard publicly?
Yes — change visibility in the leaderboard settings (gear icon).

What’s the difference between unenroll and remove?
Unenroll removes their and their parent's access to their individual results page but continues tracking donations in their name; remove deletes them entirely from the leaderboard.

What are tags used for?
To group individuals into teams or categories for easier tracking.

What kind of fundraisers can I run on SuccessFund?

Crowdfunding and Donations:
Yes, you can run crowdfunding or donations-only fundraisers on SuccessFund. These are ideal for collecting donations of any amount from supporters, as donors can enter their contribution amount directly.

Product or Service Sales:
Absolutely! You can list and sell any product or service that complies with district and SuccessFund policies, as well as federal, state, and local laws. You can configure prices, quantities, and product variations. Supporters who prefer to donate without receiving a product can use the “donate” button on your fundraiser.

Event Tickets:
Yes, SuccessFund is well-suited for selling event tickets, both for pre-sales and door admissions. While it doesn’t offer individually assigned seating, you can create seating sections with limited availability and different price points. Buyers receive an email receipt with a QR code, which can be scanned using the SuccessFund mobile app for easy ticket verification.

Concessions:
You can sell concessions using SuccessFund, especially through its in-person card readers. This is a great option for events and activities requiring immediate, on-site payment processing.

Banners and Sponsorships:
Yes, you can sell banners and other sponsorships. SuccessFund tracks all sales, allowing you to manage orders and provide details to suppliers. Additionally, using the 'Banner Fundraiser (Fulfilled by SuccessFund)' template, SuccessFund can handle the entire process, including printing and delivery.

Auctions:
You can run auctions on SuccessFund. While it doesn’t support live online bidding, you can manage payments for winning bids through your SuccessFund campaign. Winners simply enter their bid amount and complete their transaction via SuccessFund.

PTA Memberships:
Yes, PTA memberships can be sold through SuccessFund. Be sure to note that any transaction fees are additional and separate from the membership price set by your local PTA bylaws.

Event Registrations:
You can sell registrations for events like athletic camps, skills clinics, or golf tournaments. SuccessFund allows you to customize registration forms, include waivers or liability agreements, and gather important participant details such as dietary restrictions or t-shirt sizes.

Pledge Drives or “A-Thons”:
While SuccessFund does not track pledges in real-time, you can use it to process payments once pledge amounts are finalized. Patrons can make their contributions through the “donate” button by entering their final pledged amount.

SuccessFund provides a versatile platform to manage various types of fundraisers, making it a flexible solution for your fundraising needs.

How do I add collaborators to help with my campaign?

To add a collaborator to your campaign, go to the "Collaborators" tab on your campaign page.

  • Existing SuccessFund User: If the person has already created a SuccessFund account, simply select their name from the list of available users.
  • New SuccessFund User: If they haven't used SuccessFund before, send them an invitation link from the "Collaborators" tab.
  • In-Person Payments: To give someone access to take in-person payments using the SuccessFund mobile app and a card reader, generate a Volunteer Code on the "Collaborators" tab. Anyone that already is a SuccessFund user and has access to the campaign can simply log in on the mobile app to take payments without using the Volunteer Code.

How and when will we receive the money we raise?

SuccessFund only sends funds to bank accounts owned and managed by schools, districts, or other approved organizations. Funds are deposited on a weekly basis, and in most cases, districts allow donation dollars to be used immediately after the deposit arrives — but always follow your district’s specific use-of-funds process when requesting access.

Here’s how the payout process works:

  • Contributions are aggregated over a 7-day period, then SuccessFund initiates a transfer.
  • Transfers typically take 3–5 business days to arrive in the designated account.
  • Most deposits arrive on Fridays, and on average, the total time between a transaction and a deposit is about 8 days.

To view your payout status at any time:

  1. Go to your campaign and click the Results tab.
  2. Click on the Payouts report to see a detailed list of all transfers, including dates, amounts, and payment status.